Mobile cleaning robot with active suspension

Abstract

A mobile cleaning robot an include a body, a drive wheel, a wheel stop, and an actuator system. The drive wheel can be connected to the body and can be operable to move the mobile cleaning robot about an environment. The wheel stop can be movable with respect to the body. The actuator system can be operable to move the wheel stop to engage the drive wheel to extend the drive wheel from the body.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mobile cleaning robot comprising:
 a body;   a drive wheel connected to the body and operable to move the mobile cleaning robot about an environment;   a wheel stop rotatable with respect to the body;   a fender connected to the drive wheel and at least partially surrounding the drive wheel, the wheel stop engageable with the fender; and   an actuator system operable to rotate the wheel stop to engage the fender to extend the drive wheel from the body.   
     
     
         2 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 1 , wherein the wheel stop includes a body rotatable with the actuator system and wherein the wheel stop includes a projection extending laterally inward from the body, the projection engageable with the fender. 
     
     
         3 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 1 , wherein the actuator system is operable to change a mode of the mobile cleaning robot between a vacuuming mode and a mopping mode. 
     
     
         4 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a mopping pad assembly releasably connectable to the body.   
     
     
         5 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a sensor system connected to the body; and   controller circuitry configured to operate the actuator system based on one or more signals from the sensor system.   
     
     
         6 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 5 , wherein the sensor system includes an image capture sensor configured to generate an image capture signal, and wherein the controller is configured to determine a flooring type of a portion of the environment based on the image capture signal, and wherein the controller is configured to operate the actuator system based on the determined flooring type. 
     
     
         7 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 1 , wherein the actuator system includes a drive gear engageable with the wheel stop to move the wheel stop with respect to the body. 
     
     
         8 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 7 , wherein the actuator system includes an overload spring engaged with the drive gear and the wheel stop, the overload spring configured to allow the wheel stop to move independently of the drive gear when a force applied by the wheel stop on the drive gear exceeds a threshold force. 
     
     
         9 . A docking station for a mobile cleaning robot, the docking station comprising:
 a base configured to receive the mobile cleaning robot at least partially thereon, and the base configured to receive a mopping pad of a mobile cleaning robot at least partially thereon;   a one or more walls connected to the base and extending therefrom; and   a pad engagement system connected to the one or more walls and engageable with the mopping pad of the mobile cleaning robot to release the mopping pad from the mobile cleaning robot.   
     
     
         10 . The docking station of  claim 9 , wherein the pad engagement system include a pawl connected to the base or the one or more walls, the pawl engageable with the mopping pad of the mobile cleaning robot to release the mopping pad from the mobile cleaning robot when the mobile cleaning robot moves upward with respect to the pad engagement system when the mobile cleaning robot is located at least partially on the base. 
     
     
         11 . The docking station of  claim 10 , wherein the pawl of the pad engagement system is engageable with the mobile cleaning robot to cause the pawl to rotate with respect to the base when the mobile cleaning robot moves downward with respect to the pad engagement system when the mobile cleaning robot is located at least partially on the base. 
     
     
         12 . The docking station of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a first fiducial connected to the one or more walls; and   a second fiducial and a third fiducial connected to the base.   
     
     
         13 . The docking station of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more walls are engageable with the mobile cleaning robot to laterally orient the mobile cleaning robot on the docking station. 
     
     
         14 . The docking station of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 one or more rollers connected to the base, the one or more rollers engageable with one or more drive wheels of the mobile cleaning robot to limit fore-aft movement of the mobile cleaning robot with respect to the base when the one or more drive wheels engage the base.   
     
     
         15 . A mobile cleaning robot system comprising:
 a mobile cleaning robot comprising:
 a body; 
 a mopping pad releasably connectable to the body; 
 a pair of drive wheels connected to the body and operable to move the mobile cleaning robot about an environment; and 
 an active suspension system operable to move the body with respect to the pair of drive wheels; 
   a docking station comprising:
 a base configured to receive the mobile cleaning robot at least partially thereon; 
 a wall connected to the base and extending therefrom; and 
 a pad engagement system connected to the wall and engageable with the mopping pad to release the mopping pad from the mobile cleaning robot. 
   
     
     
         16 . The mobile cleaning robot system of  claim 15 , the active suspension system comprising:
 a pair of wheel stops movable with respect to the body; and   an actuator system operable to move the pair of wheel stops to engage the pair of drive wheels, respectively, to: 1—limit vertical travel of the pair of drive wheels with respect to the body, and 2—move the pair of drive wheels with respect to the body.   
     
     
         17 . The mobile cleaning robot system of  claim 16 , comprising:
 a sensor system connected to the body; and   a controller configured to operate the actuator system based on one or more signals from the sensor system.   
     
     
         18 . The mobile cleaning robot system of  claim 17 , wherein the sensor system includes an image capture sensor configured to generate an image capture signal, and wherein the controller is configured to determine a flooring type of a portion of the environment based on the image capture signal, and wherein the controller is configured to operate the actuator system based on the determined flooring type. 
     
     
         19 . The mobile cleaning robot of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 a first fiducial connected to the wall; and   a second fiducial and a third fiducial connected to the base, the controller configured to navigate the mobile cleaning robot to dock on the base using the first fiducial, the second fiducial, and the third fiducial.   
     
     
         20 . The mobile cleaning robot system of  claim 15 , wherein the pad engagement system include a pawl connected to the wall, the pawl engageable with the mopping pad of the mobile cleaning robot to release the mopping pad from the mobile cleaning robot when the mobile cleaning robot moves upward with respect to the pad engagement system when the mobile cleaning robot is located at least partially on the base.